Daddy’s Little Princess

When I was born, my father told his friends I was the ugliest baby he had ever seen, and that I sounded just like a cricket. I think that must have been the moment that I became my Daddy’s little princess.

As a little girl, I remember seeing my daddy sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking his first cup of coffee every morning. Because of a broken finger that never quite healed right, every time he took a drink, his pinky finger would stick up a little bit.

When I grew up, I wanted to be just like him.

By the time I was 10 years old, I was drinking coffee during the summers at my uncle Charley’s dairy farm. Back then I needed a ton of sugar and cream to drink the stuff. Nowadays I use just a little cream, and I sweeten it with the fake stuff, but to this very day, my pinky sticks up a little, every time I take a drink of my coffee.

We have always shared a love of various farm animals. Well, except for that mean old goose that used to chase me around the yard hissing at me, and nipping me in the butt when I tried to run away.

One day I saw the goose trying to do the same thing to my daddy. He turned around and stomped his foot. Then he got right in the goose’s face and said “git on out a here now”.

I thought he was teaching me how to stand up to an old goose, but what he taught me was not to run from things, to stand up and face my fears head on. It took me many years to finally learn that lesson.

I cannot begin to count how many runts I thought I could save over the years. I had a weakness for piglets that were too small to survive with the litter. He would help me sneak them past my mama, and into the house. I would set my alarm to feed them every couple of hours.

He did this, even knowing that I could not save them all, knowing that some would die, and he would have to pick up the pieces of my broken heart, but he was teaching me not to be afraid to take a risk, to have the courage to try even when all the odds were against me.

I started working at the restaurant with my daddy, in my early teens. There were times that I thought he was tougher on me than the employees. He was tough, and he expected nothing less than the best. It was many years before I realized he was teaching me good work ethics and that anything worth doing, was worth doing well.

Growing up, one of my biggest fears in life was disappointing my daddy because I could not bear to see that look in his eyes.

When I was a senior in high school some friends and I snuck out of the house to go to a party. Before that night, I had never drunk a single drop of alcohol but apparently I was making up for lost time because before I knew it, it was noon the next day.

It was time to face my daddy.

Seeing that look in his eyes was way worse than the butt whooping I got. To top it off, he still made me go to work, sicker than a dog, and praying to the porcelain god. That was one lesson in life that I learned very quickly, because I remembered it every single day of the 30 days I spent grounded afterwards.

During that same year, it was my daddy who took me for a long walk up the hill to quietly tell me that my very best friend, Ronnie Winston, had died at the age of 17. Looking up into my daddy’s eyes, I could see his heart breaking for me as he tried to explain that there are some things in life that not even daddy can fix.

It was then that I first began to truly understand the serenity prayer, to accept the things I cannot change, to have the courage to change the things I can, and above all, to have wisdom to know the difference.

It has been 46 years since I became my daddy’s little princess, and you know what? I grew up to be just like him.

You are such a beautiful writer. This brought tears to my eyes as it brought back so many memories of my Daddy and that is what I always called him. He’s been gone for almost 26 years and I still think of him as my daddy and miss him. My thoughts are with all of you. I’m sending a big hug your way.

Cricket,
Thank you for this beautiful posting. Please ask if there is anything that you need. As difficult as this may seem, hang in there and keep the faith. God is the ultimate healer and he doesn’t give us more than we can handle. I am positive that He will see you through this.
You, your father and your family are in my prayers and thoughts.
God bless.

This brought tears to my eyes as it pretty much sums up how I feel about my dad. He is such a strong, gentle man, battling cancer, determined to live a full life and I know he will.
My heart and prayers are going up for you and yours. I know the prayers helped my dad so much, he is still there for me, and I for him.
Michelle

The most wonderful thing about families is how they continue to endure throughout the generations. The legacy that began before your father was born has been passed down through him to you, and will continue to be passed down through you to your children, and through them to your grandchildren, forever. Some day one of your children will look at their child and say “That’s just like Grandpa”.

Cricket,
Your story hits so close to my heart and tears are running down my face. I was daddy’s little girl also. I grew up with farm animals also. Unfortunately my daddy died on my 21st birthday. My children cry because they never knew him. Be thankful for every cherished year with your father. I will keep him in my prayers.

Your story was very touching and I am sure it home for a lot of us. I know at the very least I am walking away with remembering that we should not take our family members, those we hold dear to us, for granted. Tomorrow is not promised to us, so each day we need to charish and charish those we are spending our days with.

Cricket, thank you for sharing these very personal and exceptionally beautiful moments. All my prayers go out to you and your family, and to your fathers speedy return to good health. Thank you for reminding me why I spend every single moment I can find with my Dad who is 69, and that life is a wonderful and precious gift.

My prayers go out to you, your father, and your family. Your letter brought tears to my eyes when I read it. I read this last night after coming back from my uncle’s funeral and goose bumps went all through my body. Sometimes in life with our busy schedules we don’t realize how important our loved ones are until something terrible happens.

We will all pray for a fast recovery for your dad. I am sure he is very proud of you and would be as touched as all of us were when we read the beautiful letter that you have written about him.

My daddy and I had a very similar relationship. When I lost him to Cancer I thought my world had come to an end. It didn’t so I went on with life.

To this day I rely on something he told me at a difficult time in my life: “People may be telling you that you made your bed of roses, thorns and all, so lay in it. I tell you in love that when you get in bed, and the sheets are wrikled and feel like thorns, get yourself up and straighten your sheets!”

I did, and through every life challenge I kept “strightening my sheets” and guess what? I’ve never not made it! (double negative is not a grammatical error!)

I hold you and your family in my heart. Working with you the past year has given me and new lease on life. Your generosity is truly appreciated.

I would like to thank you for letting me read what you wrote about you dad and you know why. I was moved by what you wrote as I told you before you have a wonderful way with words.
May God always bless you and yours

As a father of two adult children, I know I could not ask for more from them than the praise you have given your “Daddy”. Coincidentally, I still call my daughter “Princess” and she calls me “Daddy”.

Don’t rush to catch up. Please take care of your “whole” self. I know your commitment to the class, but it is only a class. There is nothing in the world more important than family. Time and people are the only things that can’t be replaced; and any time you can spend with your father is precious until he recovers. And when he does, still take more time to be with him, even if it can only be over the phone. There is nothing more precious to a father than time spent with a child, regardless of their age, even more so when they have become independent and don’t “need” support.

[…] was little, I was never really sure what I wanted to be, I only knew that I wanted to grow up to be just like my daddy. Heck, I am still not not sure what I want to be when I grow up! P.S. I think I always thought I […]